Sorrows of the Heart
by Percyjacksonfan3
Summary: Hera was done hoping he would change, done believing he could be different. Zeus could see now, she was sick of this but he couldn't help it. Story of Hera finding out Zeus has had yet another affair, fathering Perseus and Zeus has to watch her rage and then crumble. Something he never wanted. It's a good story I promise, you won't be dissapointed!


**Disclaimer: I am not old enough to own Greek Mythology so therefore I own nothing of this. **

As Zeus entered their bed chamber he knew he was in for it. She stood staring out of the window, looking over their palace and the clouds surrounding it. Her chiton was white, with a golden belt around her waist making her curves pronounced. Her red hair fell in a glossy cascade down her back, ending just above mid-back and her skin was pale with a rosy glow.

Her beauty struck him once again anew, as it did almost every time he saw her. She really was one of, if not, the prettiest women out there. Aphrodite was hard matched in beauty when Hera entered the room, and this was how it would remain always.

"Hera," he spoke, wanting her to turn, to look at him with the blue eyes he loved oh so much.

"Hello husband. Back so soon?" Her patronizing tone made him wince and internally he sighed.

He hated her when she was like this. Always complaining about something, making his head ache. Not even kissing her was as pleasant after she had finished talking or ranting, both were common.

"Did you have fun while you were away?" Her voice was cold, yet Zeus could tell she was feeling more than she was showing.

He winced again, mentally preparing himself for the battle that was sure to follow. "Darling-"

"I asked you a question Zeus."

Usually he wouldn't let anyone talk down to him like that. He was the King of the Gods and he would make sure everyone knew it. No one looked down to him. No one commanded him, or told him what to do. No one had the right to order him around, to demand things from him.

But to placate his wife at least a little, Zeus calmed his anger. It wasn't as if she didn't deserve an answer, he reasoned. "You know."

It was not a question, nor an inquiry. It was a statement.

Hera laughed a cruel laugh. "Of course, dear," the word was said coated with disgust. "How could I not know?"

He looked down. "I was careful-"

"You do not fool me Zeus. You forgot I have known you since you rescued us from Father's stomach, I know how you act, how you think. You tricked me into marrying you, and after that I made sure to learn all of your tricks. You are not as clever, nor sly, as you think you are husband." She turned to look at him, finally, but Zeus, seeing her anger wished she had stayed staring out the window.

He cleared his throat. "Fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing else to say?"

He sighed, meeting her eyes. "You'll probably get mad no matter what I say."

"What else am I supposed to do?" She screamed suddenly, leaving behind her indifferent facade, and Zeus was shocked at the tears that appeared in her eyes. "Should I tell you I do not care? That I still love you, despite your adultery? Should I comfort you, make love to you? Hug and kiss you and reward you?"

"No," he whispered. "None of that."

"Well then, what does that leave me with? If I cross a line you will punish me, hang me from the sky golden chains like you have so kindly done before or some other nightmarish consequence." Her voice was close to desperate, wanting an answer. The King of the Gods so badly wanted to give her one, but there was nothing to say. Nothing he could say.

Hera continued when he said nothing. "What have you left me with?"

He met her eyes, once so happy and joyful, always with that jesting sparkle in them. All of that was gone now, replaced by hurt, betrayal and anger. There was no sparkle, her face did not smile, she did not glow with joy.

She was a shadow of what she once was. And all because of him.

What had he left her with?

"Nothing," he rasped. "I have left you with nothing."

She shook her head. "Wrong again husband. I have a palace, the title Queen of the Gods. You have given me children. But I have nothing worthwhile. Nothing to treasure. Yes I love my children but they are both disappointments. Hephaestus is a cripple and Ares thinks only of battles and bedding Aphrodite. My palace is beautiful, but I would be able to live without it. The title Queen of the Gods? It has always been my place, but I survived well enough before I was your wife, I could do so again." She looked down before forcefully meeting his eyes. "And for a moment, you gave me your love. But I'm not even sure I still have that anymore. You certainly don't show it."

"This is not just my fault-" he protested weakly.

"_IT IS NOT MINE EITHER!_" She took a deep breath before calming down. "What have I done to push you away? I let you in my bed, let you marry me, I have given you everything. I gave you my heart. Even now you still have it. The only thing spiteful I have done is kill and punish your lovers and bastards, but you can hardly blame me for that."

"I cannot undo what has been done Hera."

"Tell me husband, and tell me true. Even if you could, would you?"

There was a short pause before Zeus spoke, words heavy. "No."

The silence that followed was thick, and Zeus could almost feel Hera's disappointment rolling off of her. He was slightly surprised to find he was dissapointed in himself, something he had never felt before.

Then again Hera had never been like this before.

"So what was her name this time? Where does she stay? Does this one have a husband? Really, nothing would surprise me anymore." She paused to catch her breath, those beautiful anger-hardened eyes staring him down. "Well what's her name?" She demanded when he didn't say anything.

"Danae." The word was wrenched from him, and came out in a desperate forced whisper.

Hera flinched at the word, and the love saturated tone he used when he spoke it. "Is she pretty?"

Zeus looked down. "What do you want me to say Hera?"

"The truth. For once. Be honest with me, answer me when I speak to you. I am your wife, and before that your sister. I do entitle some respect from you, do I not?"

Zeus sighed in defeat. "Of course you do."

Hera looked at him before speaking again. "Was she pretty?"

"Very."

"What color was her hair?"

"Blonde."

"Strange, I thought you preferred dark haired women. Her eyes?"

"Blue, very like yours in fact."

Her cool composure cracked at that, slipping to reveal part of the hurt she was feeling. "Don't. Never compare me to one of your whores. Never again."

"Hera-"

"Is she with child?" She suddenly demanded.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. A boy I think."

Hera closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath, and Zeus so badly wanted to go and wrap his arms around her, comfort her.

But his touch would probably never comfort her again.

"Do you love her?"

The question came out loaded, and Zeus knew the answer would impact and change his relationship with his sister-wife to a point that they could not return from. He so badly wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear. Wanted to lie, and say that she was the only one who had ever captured his heart.

But the truth was wrenched from him. "Yes."

This hurt her, he could see it. Her eyes seemed to shatter, once again moisture coated them before being blinked away fast enough and Zeus saw her take a step back, as if the word had been a physical blow.

It was not easy, to watch someone's heart shatter. Zeus didn't like watching Hera like this, it made him feel bad. Guilty, regretful. He didn't like those feelings and the way they spread through him.

She managed to speak after loudly swallowing a lump in her throat. Her normally beautiful face didn't look so pretty now, and Zeus found he couldn't meet her eyes. "Will you mourn her when she passes?"

If the Fates were kind that would be years from now. By then Zeus knew he would have found a new lover, to satisfy this insatiable craving of his. Someone else to lie with, someone else to whisper sweet nothings too. Another woman to bore him a child.

"No. I don't think so."

The truth was ugly, but it was still the truth and Zeus knew his words were honest. Hera made no movement at his words, but her breathing sped up and became more ragged.

"Then I shall not harm this one. She will live her life, but she will know she was not enough for you, that you moved on. And as she dies from old age, or sickness, she will know deep within her that you will not miss her, will not mourn her. She will know how little she is to you really, and _you_ will have to live with that." Hera said the words quietly but it would have been better if she had shouted. The pity in her voice was not something he expected but it was there all the same.

"Hera-"

Apparently unable to restrain herself she looked at him. "Do you still even love me Zeus? Am I still the one you fantasize about, the one you want?"

He needed to think, so he hesitated. And it was that, really, that broke the woman in front of him. She closed her eyes, collected herself and let out a shattered breath.

Zeus had never seen someone like Hera before, and she had never witnessed someone feel the exact emotion she was. It was pain, to say the least. The look she gave him... it made him feel something he never wanted to feel ever, ever again.

Shame.

It spread through him, like a poison, and ate away at him. His mind turned sullen, his stomach churned uncomfortably. Her angry eyes were melting away, to be replaced with something much worse.

Zeus had thought the worst thing he would have to withstand when he returned to his wife on Olympus would be her fury, her wrath. His unborn child was certainly in for some of it anyways, that he could be sure poor Danae was as well. But the worst thing was not her anger, it wasn't her yelling.

It was the completely worn and defeated look she had in her eyes. Like she was done fighting him, done hoping he would change. That hurt him, that struck him, more than anything else ever could.

Usually she was beautiful. But not now, not when she was so hurt she could barely speak rationally.

She was too proud to cry, but right now her voice was choked up with tears and sadness. But most of all, betrayal.

"You know what makes it hurt so bad each time?" She asked him quietly.

His voice was sad and regretful when he answered. "What?"

She turned and met his gaze full on, and the pain in her eyes would be apparent to even a blind man. Zeus internally winced at the defeated look he had never before seen in his wife's eyes. "The fact that despite it all, _I_ still love _you_."

She turned away from him and sat on the feather bed in the middle of their room, all the while not looking at him. Her hair fell in a curtain, blocking her face from his, but he could see her twirling and twisting her wedding ring around her finger.

A thought struck him suddenly. "But am I still allowed in our bed tonight?"

Hera sighed in disappointment and sorrow. "Of course you are Zeus. When has anyone ever denied you?"

oooOOOooo

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